Answers to this Weeks Riddles

(For the riddles, please see back page)

1. The Tosefos Shantz (Sotah 13a) writes that Moshe placed Yosef’s bones inside an empty sheep carcass, at which point the sheep came to life and followed Moshe through the wilderness for the next 40 years. Dovid alludes to this when he writes (Tehillim 80:2): נוהג כצאן יוסף - who leads Yosef like a flock.
   The Hadar Z’keinim says that Moshe tied Yosef’s bones to the skin of a goat and wrote Hashem’s Ineffable Name on it, which caused it to be resurrected. The Sefer HaKushyos explains that Moshe’s purpose in doing so was to ensure that he would not accidentally forget Yosef’s bones during their travels.
   The Siddur Rokeach writes that Moshe did forget his bones, at which point Hashem miraculously transformed them into a living sheep that accompanied Moshe during the Exodus.
   Alternatively, the Chizkuni (Bereishis 50:13) and Sifsei Kohen write that Hashem miraculously caused Yosef’s coffin to transport itself without requiring Moshe’s involvement. According to all these explanations, Moshe was never in direct contact with Yosef’s bones, and he therefore remained pure and eligible to continue receiving prophecy. (R’ Ozer Alport, Parsha Potpourri)
2. The sefer Azor Eliyohu (siman 24, the Ba’al Shevet Mussar) writes: The Gemara in Berachos (62a) teaches, “Anyone who is modest in the bathroom, no snake or scorpion will overrule him” In the Midbar there are many poisonous snakes and scorpion, and amongst the 600,000 members of Klal Yisroel, it’s impossible that there wouldn’t be some people who would be immodest, and these Jews would end up being attacked by the snakes and scorpions. Consequently, in order to save these Jews, Hashem provided mon, which is a food that was absorbed into the body, and there was no need to be excused afterwards. This helped protect everyone from the poisonous snakes and scorpions.
   The Asor Eliyohu continues: That this is why the Torah tells us that the mon tasted like honey and oil. It is forbidden to eat food that is left uncovered as we are worried that snakes may have deposited their poison inside the food. The mon fell on the ground and was left uncovered, and in the Midbar there are lots of snakes, consequently, it should have been forbidden to eat from it, as it is likely that the snakes deposited their poison inside the mon, and those who aren’t modest in the beis hakissay would be attacked. Therefore, Hashem made it taste like honey and oil, and from these liquids’ snakes refrain (Mishnah, Terumos 8:4), therefore, there was no problem.
3. The Daas Z’keinim answers that the pasuk in Tehillim is only discussing the Egyptian soldiers, all of whom indeed died, but not to Pharaoh himself. Rav Chaim Kanievsky notes that the pasuk in Tehillim does not say that every Egyptian died, but merely that the water covered them all. The Medrash says that this includes Pharaoh, who stayed submerged in the water for 50 days, after which he was miraculously saved so that he could recount Hashem’s might.
   The Malbim explains that although נשאר and נותר are both translated as “remained,” there is a key distinction between the two terms. The word נשאר refers to something that is left over intentionally, while נותר applies when it is inadvertently left over. Thus, the Torah tells us that one Egyptian was נשאר, as Pharaoh was purposefully kept alive to retell the story of the Exodus and Kriyas Yam Suf. In contrast, Tehillim tells us that although it is common in battle for at least one enemy soldier to get away, the Yam Suf was different and not a single Egyptian was נותר - able to escape incidentally.
   Rav Yisroel Reisman adds that many Holocaust survivors adopted the title שארית הפליטה – the surviving remnant. The selection of this name was not coincidental, as they viewed themselves as people who were deliberately kept alive by Hashem with a plan and a purpose. Unfortunately, many others were so broken by the torture and losses they endured that they could only see themselves as נותר. Not surprisingly, it was those who considered themselves שארית who were able to successfully make and implement plans to rebuild Judaism after the Holocaust.